More than 3 lakh children below the age of five will be administered oral polio drops on January 18 in the district, Collector K.V. Ramana said on Tuesday.
As many as 12,068 volunteers will administer polio drops from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., he said at the District Task Force meeting.
“Priority should be given to children living in slums and coverage of those on transit at railway and bus stations,” he added.
ADVERTISEMENT
Fishermen families at Gopavaram, Vontimitta and Nandalur, which were identified as high-risk areas, should get greater attention, Mr. Ramana said.
Volunteers will administer polio drops to children not covered on January 18 by visiting houses on January 19 and 20.
ADVERTISEMENT
Maintaining that not a single polio case has been recorded in the district since 2003, District Medical and Health Officer Narayana Naik said as many as 3,054 polio immunisation centres had been set up in the district. “The World Health Organisation has declared India as polio-free, but the incidence of polio is prevalent in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria,” he added.